Wine Tips for the Economic Downturn

Let’s face it. Most of us are worried about the economy. Not that long ago spending $25 dollars on a bottle of wine seemed easy. Most wine lovers are not about to give up their evening glass or two, creating the choice of drinking less or drinking smarter. 

The growth of the wine industry over the last few decades means greater choices for the consumer.  The number of very good wines under $20 has exploded as wineries compete for the attention of cash deprived customers. More and more wines selling under $10 are showing up that taste every bit as good as those costing twice as much. It’s a buyer’s market!

If your wine cellar is full of expensive wine, you’re in luck. Grab a wineglass and corkscrew and wait out the recession. It is probably about time to drink many of these wines anyway. For the rest of us, we need to start looking for bargains.

Begin at your neighborhood wine shop. Every wine shop worth its cork should be able to steer you to a few bargains. Be bold. Ask them for wines that taste like they should cost more.  Ask for specials and check the label to make sure the varietal does well in that region. Wineries are beginning to aggressively cut prices to avoid an inventory glut when the next vintage comes in. When it comes to wine, even men like a good sale.

Looking to make this fun? Invite a few friends over for a “bring a bottle of cheap wine” tasting. Set a comfortable price ceiling and have everyone pick a wine that falls in the selected range. Taste through the wines looking for the one’s you would be likely to drink again. This is a great way to share the cost of winnowing out the plonk, looking for the little gem you might have never found.

Dark times call for creativity. Be open to try new wines with the adventurous spirit of a 21 year old. Look at it as a treasure hunt, looking for the gold amongst the rocks.  Let us know what you find.

Our Bargan Picks of the month:

Black Swan 2008 Shiraz, Australia; Fruit driven wine with notes of berry, black cherry and peppery spice ($10)

Red Guitar 2007 Old Vine Tempranillo-Garnacha, Spain; Supple notes of cherry, plum and cranberry. Medium finish  ($10)